There are 3 basic muscles of the abs. The first is the Rectus abdominal, the second the external oblique and the third the intercostals.

1. The rectus abdominals function is to rotate the spine. When fully developed they form the six pack.

2. The external oblique are attached to the lower ribs and insert to the side of the pelvis. They are located at the sides of the torso. They function to rotate the spinal column

3.The intercostals are located between the ribs as two planes of muscle fibers. Their basic function is to draw the ribs together and also to lift them.

The abdominals are used as stabilizer muscles in almost every upper and lower body exercise. And having well developed abdominal muscles makes or breaks a physique. The problem with abs is the fact that there are too many fat cells that cover up any visible muscle we may have---so you need to be lean 6-8 percent body fat before you can display great abs. It is a sure sign that you are in top condition when you have abs to show.

If you train abs frequently you may find that you will develop huge blocky abs. That is why I say do not train them often. This bulkiness will kill the so longed for V shape. In short you want well-developed abs but not a big waist. Remember abs are just like any other muscle, they respond to a stimulus and stress. Treat them no differently.

If you train your abs with heavy weights they will become bigger and thicker. They will bulge out which appears as a fat belly. As a hard gainer you can probably get away with using heavy weights, because usually hard gainers tend to be ectomorphs, with small joints and bones. Such individuals can afford the extra size that a specialized program can give them

The most important element of ab training is your diet and aerobics, you need to eliminate the excess body fat to display your abs. You need high intensity aerobics with intense but infrequent abdominal training.

The Biggest Misconception of Ab Training

Many perform abs in the hope that they will burn the fat by using exercise that target the abs. Spot reducing it is called. You cannot spot reduce. It is not possible, fat comes off uniformly, and you lose body fat first where you last put it, for instance if you gain fat on your abs and then followed with fat on your thighs etc , when you lose body fat, the fat on the thighs will go first before the abs. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Abs exercises in themselves are not efficient calorie burners. This is because you are working just a small portion of your body, which burns very few calories. If you run you will burn far more calories since you are carrying your whole body weight. In that respect if you performed 100 sets of squats you would burn more calories than running or performing abdominal exercises (not recommended!)

Only great nutrition and a specialized abdominal program will get rid of the fat and put on quality muscle mass on your abs.

Now How Do I Get Ripped Abs?

Quite simply you have to indulge in super intense workouts if you ever wish to get built abs but contrary to what conventional training theories insist or advocate. you do not have to use:

1. High volume - lots of set. Actually for abs the extreme opposite is recommended. Very few abdominal sessions are needed. You do not need
2. High frequency - lots of training days
3. Neither do you need very low calories intake to get great abs
A properly executed abs workout can take up to 6 weeks to fully recover. This is fact not some estimate. For those who train abs everyday (without drugs), is it any wonder you have made no progress in your abdominal development for ages?

You Must!!!

Train Abs Infrequently
Because the abs are involved in almost ever upper and lower body movement they already receive a lot of stimulus to begin with. Add heavy intense squatting and bench presses and you have given the abs all the muscle stimulation they need. As such to make the abs grow bigger and get more developed you need to place a more direct stimulus on them but at the same time you have to allow plenty of time to for them to recuperate. Over working the abs or training the when they have not recovered will leave the abs flat and "deflated", you will not have the full crisp look that great abs display.

High Intensity Aerobics To Remove The Fat
There is however a dilemma here. If you perform too much aerobics you will most likely burn up hard earned muscle mass both in the abs and the overall body. Furthermore if you are on a weight gain program you will find it extremely hard to put on weight if you are performing lots of aerobics

Proper Nutrition
I hate the word diet! Just remove the t and what do you have "die" which is what eventually happens. It kills your social life and your health. Not many can diet strictly and more importantly it is not usually the permanent solution. It is simple just eat 6 small healthy meals a day. Cut out or reduce all sweets, soda, and fried food.
Follow these simple rules and before you know it you will have the ripest abs on the beach.